Fastener



Aug. 9, 1927;

J. M. VAN HEUsEN FASTENER Filed April 21. 192e 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jiu/N MAmv//vs J. M. VAN HEUSEN FASTENER Aug.

Filed April 21, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvEN-TOR Patented Aug.' 9, 19.27.

UNITEL STATES Y Y 'i lr6-38,073

JOHN MANNING VAN HEUSEN, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

FASTENER.

Application filed April 21, 1926.

This'invention relates to fastening devices, and while its field of application is sufficiently broad to cover agreat variety of.

uses, I shall in describing my invention refer more particularly to its use in wearing apparel. Those skilled in the art can readily apply the invent-ion to other uses.

It has long been recognized that buttons are a nuisance. Thisis especially true with such garments as shirts or underwear which are repeatedly subjected to the laundering process. The buttons are torn off or are broken in the wringing or ironing machines. rl`his necessitates sewing on new buttons only to lose them again after a short period of wear. The same applies to any metallic or non-metallic fastening device which in the course of everyday use is likely to be jerked or crushed and thus pullcd'loose from the garment or bent orv broken4 as the case may be.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to obviate the necessity for buttons Orother fastenin devices made'of rigid or semi-rigid materials, and'to provide anV efiicient fastening` device neat and attractive' to the eye, and'free from the possibility of being cracked or broken iny use or in the laundry.

Briefiy stated my invention comprises two elements which when their surfaces are brought closely in contact with each other will resist longitudinal pull. The contact surface of one or both of these elements is such that it will cling to or engage with the contact surface of the other element. For example. the contact surface of one element may be pile threads such as velvet or plush` while the contact surface of the other element may be a fabric of relatively open, coarse weave. l/Vhenthe elementsv are brought together the pile threads will, to a degree. embed themselves in the coarse fabric and lodge in the interstices of the latter. It is obvious that the elements thus engaged cannot easily be separated by longitudinal pull.I that is` pull exerted in a direction generally parallelv to the plane of contact.

The elements may be shaped and arranged in various ways. One element, for example, may be in the form of a flat tube adapted to receive the other element which in this case might be a. flat projecting tongue. Or thev receiving element maybe cylindrical in shape and the projecting .element formed 1n the shape of a large cord, Again the elements Serial No. 103,596.

themselvesma be curved lengthwise so that they are not throughout their length on a directline with the normal pull tending .to separate the parts;l or they may have enlargements or offsets at certain points so as better to insure firm and continuing Contact, or otherwise 'to render accidental disengagement more difficult. A number of elements may be used on a given article or portion "thereof,r and the respective parts may be grouped and coordinated so as to act sepai'atel;7 or collectively.

According to another embodiment of iny invention both elements have Acontact surfaces of velvet or other material having contact filaments on the surface thereof. And according to still another embodiment l use on one contact surface pile fabric iii-which thev pile. threads are slanted or inclined away from the direction of normal pull. This form of my invention is particularly effective because the inclined Contact filamentsl are braced against longitudinal displacement and if during normal use the elements are subjected to fleXure or other slight movenient with relation to each other, the tendency is for the tongue or projecting element to work farther into the aperture of the receiving element andthus give additional resistance to disengagement. If an even firmer grip is desired rslanted contact ilainentsmay be used on both elements,v the inclination being so arranged that the contact filaments of the respective elements will lock,y so to speak7 with each other when a strain is exerted tending to separate them.

ln the embodiment of my invention which employs a projecting element adapted to be inserted in a receiving element7 the projecting element should be sufficiently stiff to facilitate its insertion. It should, however, be pliable and non-breakab'le so as to withstand rough usage and laundering.

lt will be understood, of course, that the two elements of my fastening device are to be attached to or made a part of the portions of the garment or other article it is desired to join. In shirts or underwear, for example, one element takes the place of a but-ton and the other elementthe button hole. l/Vhen the garment is in place the parts are joined by inserting the protruding element into the receiving element or otherwise bringing the respective elements, whatever shape they may be, into-close unison. A plurality of my fasteners may be'used, if

Il (l rlhe fastening members may be disengaged by ,sepa-rating wholly or in part the contact surfaces and withdrawing the projecting element, or, where the construction of the receiving element is such that the contact surfaces cannot be separated, by exer ing a sharp pull on the projecting element, in much the same manner -as that employed in separating the male and female elements of the common snap fastener'.

rlhe invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrativeV of certain embodiments thereof, in which,

Fig. l shows one form of fastening Vdevice according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is asectional view showing conventionally the project-ing member and the receiving member of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 shows the projecting element of Figsfl and Q, a small portion of the surface being enlarged to illustrate the nature of the contact surface.

Fig. l is a sectional view showing a modified form of my invention in which both. elements are provided with slanted contact filaments.

Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of my invention which is adapted for use on curved surfaces. Y

(i shows still another. embodiment of 'nventioir 7 shows a fastening device in which projecting element and the receiving eleit are curved laterally. (ig. S shows a fasteningdevice in which projecting element is cylindrical in e v .g 9 shows i oni a modified form of my inn which the projecting element is iii-cgi r shape and the mouth of the receivingelement is smaller than the body thereof.

Fig. l0 shows another form of my invention.

Fig. ll shows a projecting element of modified construction.

l2 shows still another form of my invention. and p Fig. i3 shows a top view of the fastening ,device of l2, a portion of the receiv element being brolten away to shew the interior lining.

Referring to the` dravngs,v the pieces l and 2 are those to be fastened together by my fastening device. The element 3 of l.. 2 and 8 is secured the piece l and the clemen y e is secured to or made a part or the piece 2. rlhe element 3 in the form of-my invention illustrated in lTiI l, 2 and 3 a projecting element which is adapted to loe inserted in the receiving element 4l. The projecting` element 3 comprises an inner ingealso upon the taste of user. l

plain or decorative, hidden or exposed. TheV neeenva layer or core made of some relatively stili yet flexible materialsnchas, for example, cardboard, buclrran'i, celli'iloid, or some chemically treated or impregnated material.

This core should be such that it will not be softened or injured by water if the histon-V ing device is to be vused on laundered articles. 'lhe inner core 5 is covered. y a layer of comparatively coarse Vwoven cloth 6.

which is inserted into the receiving element.

Se also the core 5 need not extend the full length of the projecting element but may be used only in the front end which is to be inserted into the receiving element.Y

The receiving element l is a pocket, the outer surfaces of which may, if. desired, be of the same material as that vforming the remainder of the article, or of different material, depending upon the type of'garment or other article on which it is used, and depend- Itmav be inner surfaceiof the receiving element Ain the form illustrated in Figs. l and 2 is composed of pile fabric having the pile threads i slanted or inclined in a direction away from the opening or mouth of the pocket. rllhe walls of the pocket are normally in close spaced relation and the construction and material used should be such that any tend ency of the walls to spread apart (beyond the point necessary' to admit the projecting element) will be minimized. lEileY fabrics having the pile threads slanted or inclined are lrnown in the art and I shall not herein describe the method of producing them. lt

receiving element 4. The pile threads thus Y come into close engagement with the surface 6 of the projecting element, and prevent the latter from being accidentally` withdrawn.

ln the modification illustrated in Fig. 4f, the Contact surface of the A.projecting element 3 is provided with contact filaments rearln Y Fig. 3 this surface covering is shown and lin Cil

wardly inclined. 'Ihese filaments engage with the opposi'tely inclined contact filaments of the receiving element and provide an exceedingly firm grip. The pile threads or otherv contact filaments used on the surface of the projecting element may, if dec sired, be erect rather/than slanted. Indeed, the same is true of the'contact filaments of the receiving element. In general the use of inclined contact filaments on both members of the fastening device gives the maximum of cling and resistance to accidental disengagement. In many instances it may be wholly unnecessary to have so firm a grip in the fastening, and where that is so other expedients such as erect pile threads in combination with cloth such as that described in connection with the projecting element of Figs. l, 2 and 3, may be used.V

Fig. 5 shows another form of my invention, adapted to be used on curved surfaces. The members 3" and ib are not necessarily fixed in the curved form shown but are'sufiiciently flexible to take on that curvature. In the device illustrated in Fig. 5 the tongue or projecting member comprises a single piece of relatively stiff material having an irregular or coarse contact surface, or having thereon contact filaments of some sort. The receiving elementr has inclined contact filaments on its lower surface or jaw. My fastening `device is particularly effective when resting against a curved surface. A pull exerted on ther tongue is not a straight outward pull as in the modifications of Figs. 9. and 3, but is divisible into two components, one outward and one downward, or inward, as the case may be. The downward or inward component forces the tongue into closer and closer contact with the restraining surface of the receiving member and it thus becomes increasingly difiicult to disengage the parts. rIhus it will in many cases be found unnecessary to use a pile fabric on the tongue member, and as illustrated in Fig. 5 they may in some cases be omitted from the upper or outer wall of the receiving element. I-Iere again, however, slanted contact filaments may, if desired, be used on all the contact surfaces.

My fastening device could be used in the curved form just described in many garments such, for example, as belts, shoes, gait-ers, gloves, spats, garters, girdles, and also, of course, Vin numerous articles outside the field of wearing apparel.

In'the structure shown in Fig. 6 the mouth or opening of the receiving elementeC is at the back of the pocket rather than at the fr-ont as in Figs. l, 4 and 5. The tongue 3c is doubled near the end and inserted intothe receiving element. In this structure I have shown erect contact filaments on the upper wall or jaw of the receiving element. Any pull on the end of the tongue would tend to draw the inserted end into closer relation with the contact surface of the upper wall of the receiving element which in turn would hold the tongue more firmly in place.

In Fig. 7 I have shown the projecting member 3d as bent or curved laterally, the receiving element 4d having a corresponding 'curvature .I have found that by using a slightly in removing it, the restraining effect is considerably increased. Any desired degree of curvature may be used, and the tongue may be curvedup rather than down as illustrated.

The action described in the preceding paragraph is present also in the modification shown in Fig. 9. I-Iere the tongue 3e is of irregular shape and the mouth of the receiving element 4e is slightly shorter than the distance between the upper and lower projections on the tongue. The tongue must therefore be twisted slightly upward so that the extreme, end and the lower projection enter the receiving'element first, after which the upper projection will slip through readily enough as the Atongue is pushed in and twisted downward.

In Fig. 8 I have shown the projecting element 3f as cylindrical in shape, and the receiving element 4f adapted to receive it. The projecting element in this case may be a heavy cord treated so as to be stiff enough for easy insertion. The tip should preferably be rounded and slightly pointed.

In some instances it may be found desirable to face the tip of the projecting element, whether it be flat or cylindrical, with satin or some other smooth material, as shown in Fig. 11. The projecting element 3g is shown with backwardly projecting contact filaments onrits upper and lower contact surfaces except at the tip where -a smooth material 8 is used. This facilitates the insertion of the tongue into the receiving element.

In Figs. 12 and 13 I have shown sectional and plan views of still another modification of my invention. The projecting element is faced with a transversely ribbed material 9 such as piqu, rep, corduroy or the like. The receiving element has the usual contact filaments which in this figure are shown as two pads one above the other but not covering the entire interior of the pocket. The pile surface may, of course, be large or small as desired. The facing 9 on the tongue 3h being transversely ribbed presents numerous ridges with which the inclined filaments of the receiving element contact.

In Fig. lO l have shown a somewhat different ei bodiment of my invention which does not, strictly speaking, comprise projecting and receiving elements. The contact filaments of both members are exposed and are inclined so as to engage each other and give the greatest amount of resistance to longitudinal strain. ToV attach the two portions of the garment or other article tl e downwardly or inwardly extending pad or facing is disposed over the. upwardly or outwardly eXtendinO` ,pad or facing and pressed firmlyr against it so that there is complete engagement of the filaments. For some` purposes this particular' form would be unsuitable but if the garment fastened as above described is to be worn under other articles of clothing which will press slightly upon the point of joinder, the device will prove satisfactory.

it will be .seen from the foregoing that my invention has numerous embodiments. Those herein described are illustrative of the invention but l do not intend to limit myself to the particular forms shown and described. For example, the elements may be of shapes and constructions other than those herein illustrated, the materials used in the Contact surfaces may vary wideli, and numerous other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Y that l claim is:

l. In a fastening device, a projecting element having thereon a relatively rough porous Contact surface adapted to engage extending filaments, a receiving element on the interior of which is a Contact surface containing extending filaments, the projecting element being adapted to enter the receiving element and thereby bring the contact. surfaces into enga gement.. A

2. ln a fastening device, a projecting element having thereon' a. relatively rough porous contact surface. adapted to engage extending filaments, a receiving element on the interior of which is a contact surfacehaving contact Vsurfaces containing *back-P wardly inclined contact filaments, the projecting element being adapted to be inserted into the receiving element and thereby bring the contact filaments of the. projectingv element into engagement with the contact filaments of the receiving element.

e. in a fastening device, a projecting element and a receiving element, the projecting element having a stiffeuing core adapted to facilitate the insertion of said elem-ent into the receiving element, at leastv one of said elements having Contact filaments on the surface thereof, and the parts being so arranged that when the projectingelement is inserted int-o the` receiving element the surfaces of lsaid elements are brought into close contact. i

JOHN MANNING VAN HEUSEN. 

